Ned's Place
by neveraworsename
Summary: “I don't have a lot, Miley. There's not much I can be proud of and look back on and smile. But I have you and that's enough.” Liley.
1. See You Again

Author's Notes: Hello. This is my first Liley fanfic and I'm trying to make it, you know, good. I don't want it to be a horror story filled with unthoughtful dialogue or crappy scenes. I would like reviews and constructive criticism. Tell me if something doesn't quite fit in or I'm leaving something out. I want to hear it, or rather read it. I'd also like to recieve song titles from anyone reading this. My anonymous review is on so you don't have any excuses. Any title suggestions will be considered and appreciated. Thank you.

Disclaimer: Hannah Montana does not belong to me. I am simply using it to prove a point in fanfiction. All I own is: Ned's Place, L.T., Bobby, Tonya, and Michael.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Summary: "I don't have a lot, Miley. There's not much I can be proud of and look back on and smile. But I have you and that's enough." Liley.

Chapter 1: See You Again

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

I used to think that the Earth revolved around the Sun. All the teachers say that, and all the scientists too but I have to say that they're wrong. The world revolves around Miley, and I can remember the moment I realized it. I can't jump right into the middle, I have to start at the beginning, when I was waiting and waiting and it never became real until her.

I think she remembers Ned's Place. She has to, it's where we met. Ned's real name was Bobby and he was almost old, almost thirty, and he was living it up. He lived on top of it with his sister, Tonya, who was a lot closer in age to me. I worked in the kitchen, making sure that everyone wasn't just there for the great company, and actually came back, me and Ollie. It was always like that, me and Oliver. He'd been my best friend from Day 1 and knew everything about me there was to know that he should. He could never know me like her, though. [She knew, knows, will know everything and it had nothing to do with me.]

I remember the day it was, too. It was almost ten o'clock, and more than two hours until closing time, on June 9th. Every family in two mile vicinity wanted to get one last meal in before Summer Vacation party mentality set in and they became to drunk to do anything that seemed remotely geared towards family.

I was working by myself, Oliver was on vacation, and it was pretty busy. I didn't have time to do my usual joking around and playing, and I was actually focused on my job. I was so focused it wasn't until it was nearly closing time that the orders stopped coming in like rifle fire and I realized how damn tired I was. Before I got to bitching about it, I started cleaning up after myself, putting the spices back, cleaning up the tops, washing my personal set of knives and stuff. I trusted Bobby and all but I liked my knives and no one else's.

This would be the one and only time that I shall thank Andrew. He was nice enough, if you were into guys. He wasn't that much taller than me with a slight goatee and he was on the husky size. He was nice and friendly though so I'll forgive him for hitting on her. He was the bus-boy and he'd just brought in another bunch of dishes to put in the dish-washer when she and Jake tumbled in. Jake was on top of her and I flinched when the two hit the floor.

Andrew laughed long and loud and was still chuckling when we helped them up. Her lip was slightly swollen from where Jake's teeth had collided with it and he wiped away a line of red from his mouth. Jake was a bus-boy too and Bobby poked his head in. He was never one to mince words and told them, loud and clear, "Jake! Andrew! I pay you two to clean, not get it on with girls that don't like your ugly asses! Get out of the kitchen before I hire two boys that know what their doing!"

Andrew had just enough time to ask her if she wanted to dump Jake for a real man before Bobby threatened to fire them again. Without their last check. That shut them up and Jake tried to kiss her a second time but her lip got in the way so instead he smiled and her cheek. I still gave a shiver of disgust. I'm pretty sure that Jake was a man-whore. He'd never come onto me so I couldn't be sure that he was interested in everything that could walk and talk with a vagina. I could see what he saw in Miley though.

I went into the freezer and pulled out some cubes of ice before I wrapped them in a cloth and gave it to her. "Here. It'll swell but you won't be able to feel it." She murmured a thank you.

Miley turned to me and said, "I'm sorry about coming through your door and all. Jake was just so excited to see me after vacation and never had a chance to apologize."

She had a Southern twang to her voice and it was very pretty, constantly shifting her vowels and consonants. Everyone else here sounded ditsy in comparison, very much like the Californians that we were.

It sounded more like, "I'm sorry 'bout comin' through you' doo' and all. Jake was jus' so 'cited to see me afte' vacation and neve' had a chance to 'pologize."

I smiled at her, even as I faced away and started on the last batch of fried chicken for the night.

"It's alright, you know. He wouldn't have apologized anyways so it was nice of you to do it for him. I'm Lilly."

She frowned at me, cocking her head to the side even as she said, and "I'm Miley. Why do you say that? Jake apologizes to me when he does something wrong, why not you?"

"He won't do it to me because he doesn't think he has anything to gain from it. If he apologized to you it would be because you were his girlfriend and he thought that it would make you think that he was all kind and sensitive and stuff," I told her.

I didn't have to turn around for the feeling of her disapproval at my dissection of her boyfriend. When I turned around I could have kicked myself. My thought had proved correct and she had a slight furrow between her brows. I thought she was incredibly cute that way. She'd have been a thousand times more gorgeous if she was smiling at me instead.

"But, hey," I shrugged, taking the chicken out and placing it on a plate before I took one and rang the bell for someone to get it, "That's just my opinion. Want some?" I asked her, holding out a piece of the wing I'd stolen.

"No, I don't," She said stiffly, than added, "Thank you." I laughed at her before I started on my chicken. I was hungry but I hated eating my own cooking. Everyone said I cooked better than Oliver but his tasted better to me. I usually ate L.T. or Oliver or even my mom's cooking. My mom can't cook for shit, but I ate it to please her. Everything looks yellow, and yellow is not an appetizing color.

I sat on a counter as she stood stiffly next to the door.

"Ryan isn't coming anytime soon, you know," I told her. "There were lots of people and he and Andrew will be swamped."

"Oh," Miley said softy. Her steps were measured and she leaned against the counter I was sitting on.

After nearly five minutes of nothing, she asked me, "So, you like working here?"

I shrugged at her. "I guess. It's nice enough if that helps. Bobby pays us well and the hours aren't bad. Thinking of working here?"

She looked away and made a sound. "Yeah, I was thinking of it. To be closer to Jake and all. Besides, I live right down the block."

I smiled at her, "So you're our new neighbors! My brothers L.T. and Michael helped you guys."

She looked at me again, and said, "I thought you looked familiar. You look a lot like your brothers." I nodded, "I get that a lot."

"We're you from?" I asked her. She leaned back and looked at me out the corner of her too-blue eyes and said, "Born and raised in Davidson County, Tennessee."

I grinned at her, "A good, wholesome country girl. My mom'll be so proud of me making a new friend. She always says I spend too much time with my brothers and their friends."

She looked at me curiously and I gave her a grin.

"You have girlfriends, don't you?" She asked.

What I really wanted to say to her was, "Have you seen me? I wear nothing but shorts and flip-flops, and band-t's, and I have more hats than any shop in the world and I'm a proud supporter of gay groups at school! No self respecting girl would hang out with me if they could help it."

I thought about how bitter and self-pitying that would make me sound and replied, "No, not really. And even then it's my brother's girlfriends, usually."

She looked me in the eyes and the seriousness, the rigidity faded as she looked at me closely. Soon only a fiery sheen overcame her blue eyes and I gave a sigh before I leaned back further.

"I'll be your friend. If you want me too," She told me. Her tone of voice said that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

I nodded to her, "I'd like that. Your in the same grade as me, right? Twelfth?"

She smiled at me and it was as if all the air in my lungs was sucked out and replaced with helium. "Yeah."

We talked for almost an hour, an hour longer than I would have stayed, and I was glad to do it. Jake eventually looked in and asked, "Ready to go, Destiny?" I could see the frown on her face and I wanted so much to wipe it off with my fingers. The frown did not belong on her beautiful face and it was even worse than when I caused it because I could make her laugh it off.

"Uh, yeah, Jake." She turned to me and smiled, "I'll see you later, Lilly."

I grinned and pulled myself off the counter, "Bye, neighbor."

She giggled and followed Jake out.

I stood where I was for a while before I gave a sigh and grabbed my book-bag. It was black like my uniform and I briefly wondered what Miley would look like in it. I walked out the door and headed for the bathroom. The uniform was pretty thin and it was cool outside so I changed into a pair of jeans and a green long-sleeved shirt. I pulled on my skateboard helmet and said bye to Tonya as I headed home. I did a kick-flip over a recycle bin. I couldn't wait to see her again.

_I got my sights set on you and I'm ready to aim  
I have a heart that will never be tamed  
I knew you were something special  
When you spoke my name  
Now I can't wait to see you again _


	2. Fly On The Wall

Author's Notes: Hello. This is my first Liley fanfic and I'm trying to make it, you know, good. I don't want it to be a horror story filled with unthoughtful dialogue or crappy scenes. I would like reviews and constructive criticism. Tell me if something doesn't quite fit in or I'm leaving something out. I want to hear it, or rather read it. I'd also like to recieve song titles from anyone reading this. My anonymous review is on so you don't have any excuses. Any title suggestions will be considered and appreciated. Thank you.

Disclaimer: Hannah Montana does not belong to me. I am simply using it to prove a point in fanfiction. All I own is: Ned's Place, L.T., Bobby, Tonya, Luke, and Michael.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Summary: "I don't have a lot, Miley. There's not much I can be proud of and look back on and smile. But I have you and that's enough." Liley.

Chapter 2: Fly On The Wall

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I have a thing for Tic-Tacs. It's not that my breath stinks or anything, but I just like the taste. Anybody that saw that movie Juno all the way through knows how Paulie likes to just shove a bunch of the orange kind in his mouth? That's what I do, but the passion fruit flavored ones.

The thing is that I started doing it the same year Juno came out. Michael laughed until he was red in the face when we got to that part. That's how he met Julie, his girlfriend; she was the girl that poured her popcorn over his head, politely telling him to, "Stop fucking laughing like a damned deranged hyena." They're engaged now.

Now, the reason I'm telling you about that is to show you how weird romances are in my family. Mike was obsessed with Julie for weeks, nearly stalking her. Rather than call the cops, she said that it made him cuter. Either Julie has no self-preservation instincts or Mike's smoother than we thought, but he got her.

My Mom and Dad met at a surfing competition, after Dad got hit with her board when she went into the water. They had a long argument that ended in them married with three children. So it stands to reason that me and L.T will have a great romance after we 1) embarrass ourselves/somebody, 2) get hurt/molested 3) all of the above (Uncle Sam was groped at a party, sang all the wrong lyrics to a country song, and fell off the stage. He got engaged two years ago to the man he fell on.).

This proves that I'm hopeless. Miley and I had a nice, nonthreatening conversation. We laughed, we joked, we were sorry to have to part. Everyone was still up when I got home, so I wasn't hurting for food. Mom, Dad, L.T, Michael, Julie, Aunt Paula, who will not move out, and my cousin Luke, Paula's son, were in the living room, spread out on the couches and floor like mats.

It was almost midnight, and comparable to noon at our house during the summer. Our parents never outgrew their love for summer, and three children can make you partially nocturnal at our house. I went to my room to shower, change my clothes and put my stuff away. When I came down I was in a pair of loose cotton blue and white striped pants and a red shirt before going to the kitchen, fixed myself a plate of chicken and pasta, before going back to the living room.

Luke scooted over and I sat next to him as Dad and Julie flipped a coin to get the next movie. "Step-brothers," Dad said. Everyone groaned. We'd watched the movie all week since Dad was the God of coin-tossing. He hated the movie as much as the rest of us but he loved that stupid song, "Boats And Hoes."

We sat up until three in the morning, watching it. Luke's six and he fell asleep, his head on my shoulder. When I saw just about everyone else asleep I picked Luke up and put him to bed. I could never understand how I could be tired as all hell at work but when I got home, I was wired. I decided some boxing was in order. I set up the Wii Sports and started playing. I was at five hundred points when my arms got really tired and I cut it off. I headed up for my room, pausing only to watch L.T. shove half a hoagie in his mouth in the kitchen. It was a disturbing site and I shivered before I headed to my room. The window was open and the cool air felt good on my heated skin.

I woke up to Luke on my stomach. Luke doesn't weigh that much, which is why I slept through him landing on me, and I adjusted him to lay on his side as I got up to use the bathroom. I went, washed my hands and headed downstairs. Oliver was in the kitchen, making chocolate-chip pancakes. I snuck up behind him and shouted in his ear, "Ollie!" He jumped, swore, and spilled batter on himself.

He turned around and hit me with the spoon he was using to stir the batter. I grinned at him and scooped some of the batter onto my finger before I ate it. "Hey, this isn't half bad." He rolled his large, doe-like brown eyes at me and hit me again. Sometimes I think Oliver is overly blatant about his wish to become a cross-dressing prostitute. "Three or four?" He asked me.

I grin at him. "Five, you naive fool. Make them extra-large, woman." He rolled his eyes again as I sat at the table. "How you never gain weight is a mystery."

"It's a psychological thing. I don't worry about gaining weight so I don't." I made my voice teasing, "You, on the other hand, are always worried about how big your ass is, thus it grows larger." He threw another spoon at me.

I sat on the counter and told him, "So Jake got a new girlfriend."

"And? What, she's pretty or something?" He said, as he put the skillet on the stove.

"Seriously, dude. She's hotter than your mom," I told him.

I could tell he was rolling his eyes, "You have an unhealthy fascination with my mother. She's not that hot."

I scoffed, "Of course you don't think she's hot; she's your mother." I gave him a grin, "I can say whatever the hell I want to say about her. The same way you can have wet-dreams about my father."

He turned towards me, flushing, and hissed, "You promised not to mention that!"

I looked over his shoulder and said, "Your pancakes burning." He growled and turned around to save it. I jumped off the counter to go down to the basement and play some more games. Instead, I laid down on the old couch we have down there with almost no stuffing because Mike's neurotic and pulled a lot of it out and closed my eyes. All I saw was blue, the kind of blue that stained itself in your soul and you were never able to get rid of it, no matter how hard you tried.

Later that day, almost evening, found me and Ollie skating around town, trying to find something to do. Malibu was awesome sometimes, and other times it sucked ass. Like now. We went by the elementary school, where I saw Luke trying to do the bunny-hop on his little bike. We'd gotten rid of his training-wheels last month and he was now confident enough to try to do some tricks. I skated around him and his friends and headed to the swings, while Ollie went to the slides when he saw Tony, his old lab partner. Tony was cute in a geeky way, but not Oliver's type.

I didn't notice until I looked up to find Miley at the swings. I grinned as I approached her and sat next to her. She looked up when I sat down and smiled at me, "Hi, Lilly."

I responded, "Hey, Miley. What're you doing around here; it's pretty far from the neighborhood on foot."

She gave me a distant smile, "I was supposed to meet Jake but he canceled at the last minute." I whistled, "Ouch." Her smile was edged with bitterness, "Yeah. Sucks to be me."

I smiled at her, trying to bring her out of her funk, "Not just you. Look at that kid right there," I said, showing her a little boy trying to fly, "he's bound to be a moron or the world's worst president. Then it'd really suck to be an American." She giggled, as I said, "And not just him. Look around you," I said, gesturing to everyone there, "All of them are bound to be either an idiot or a great politician. See them," I said, pointing to Luke and his friend Malcolm, "those two are probably the only two that aren't complete and utter dumb-asses but that's bound to change once they hit middle school. Then our future is bound to be doomed."

I had her laughing now, and I stood up, grabbing her hand. She had very soft hands, as if she rarely did anything physical with them but her finger tips were rough, like if she was a musician. She let me lead her away and taking a few turns and walking a few blocks we hit the beach.

You couldn't smell it from the park and it was amazing how close it was. We spent a while there, long enough for the sun to go down. I found out she hated her hair, and that it was to curly, that she wished that she could talk like me and Jake, and that she could swim but not very strong.

Just as I was going to ask her if she wanted to go home with me, I'd let her ride front on my skateboard, when her cell-phone rang. She pulled it out and I listened to her half of the conversation.

"Jake?"

"I'm at the beach with Lilly. By 'Coconut Ave.'"

"Really? Oh, I see you. Just let me tell Lilly bye."

She hung up and looked at me and I smiled at her as she said, "Jake's giving me a ride home. You want one?"

I shook my head, "Nah. Ollie's probably looking for me. I'll see you tomorrow." She gave me a grin and looked as if she was going to hug me or something before she walked up the street, the single head-light of Jake's motorcycle shining downwards. I turned away and headed for Rico's Shack. I sat down and ordered three chili-dogs with all the toppings just as Ollie jogged my way.

"You got me one?" I handed him one and we ate before we headed to our houses. "To bad I didn't see that hot girl, huh?" I gave him a quiet smile, "Missed her by five minutes. We'll see her tomorrow."

I had to see her tomorrow. I wouldn't know what to do without her.

_You don't understand what it is  
That makes me tick  
But you wish you did  
You always second guess, wonder if  
I say yes but you just lose out every time_


	3. Dream

Author's Notes: Hello. This is my first Liley fanfic and I'm trying to make it, you know, good. I don't want it to be a horror story filled with unthoughtful dialogue or crappy scenes. I would like reviews and constructive criticism. Tell me if something doesn't quite fit in or I'm leaving something out. I want to hear it, or rather read it. I'd also like to receive song titles from anyone reading this. My anonymous review is on so you don't have any excuses. Any title suggestions will be considered and appreciated. Thank you.

Disclaimer: Hannah Montana does not belong to me. I am simply using it to prove a point in fanfiction. All I own is: Ned's Place, L.T., Bobby, Becky, Tonya, Luke, Andrew and Michael.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Summary: "I don't have a lot, Miley. There's not much I can be proud of and look back on and smile. But I have you and that's enough." Liley.

Chapter 3: Dream

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

As much as I love the summer, I wish that my job didn't have me spend my nights there. I could be doing something useful with that time; like pining after a girl I'd known less than twenty-four hours ago. It was both time-consuming and depressing. The pining, not the job. I grabbed another uniform, black-on-black as well, out of the drawer I have full of them and put it in my book-bag. I climbed down the stairs, dropped a kiss on Luke's forehead and waved bye to everyone as I headed down the block, the wheels of my skateboard making clacking sounds as I went to Ned's Place.

I stopped at the employee's entrance and put my skateboard and helmet in the locker I had and changed my pants in the room as well. I buttoned the black shirt over my white wife-beater and rolled the sleeves up. Just as I yanked my hair back into a ponytail, Tonya and Becky came in giggling. I nearly rolled my eyes but instead retied my shoes, sitting on the bench.

I called, "Hey Tonya, Becky."

"Hi, Lilly," Becky said, her voice filled with misplaced affection. Becky's had a crush on me since I started working here. I told her point-blank, but gently, to not try, that I wasn't interested in her, but she persisted, saying I'd eventually give in. Two years of her increasingly stalkerish behavior and I could tell she was staring at me. I hoped I wasn't like this around Miley.

I could feel Becky's disillusioned smile aimed my way and I said, "Stop looking at me like that Becky. It's creepy."

Tonya snorted, "It's more than creepy, Beck. It's desperate-"

Oliver walked in, slipping off his jacket to reveal the uniform shirt and continued, "Dire-"

"Freaking me out," I said.

Andrew adjusted his pants, coming from the bathroom the guys changed in, as he said, "And it means you really, really need to get laid and our little Lilly ain't willing to help."

She gave a sigh, "Thanks for that soul-crushing blow, guys."

Andy winked, "Anytime babes. I live for poor unfortunate souls."

Oliver gasped, "I love that song, too!"

He and Andrew than proceeded into a very off-key Jonas Brothers rendition of the famed Disney Song.

I rolled my eyes as I went into the kitchen to start off some salads, Andy's belting the lyrics following me.

I nearly cut my finger off as Tonya screeched, "True gentlemen avoid it when they can but they dote and swoon and fawn on ladies who're withdrawn, it's she who holds her tongue who gets a man!"

The musical favor was followed by Bobby's screaming, "I don't pay you to sing! I pay you to get out there and act like little monkeys! Get your asses out and working!"

Bobby's temper could not even be curbed by his beloved sister being there as she was cause of lots and lots of the trouble around here. I laughed as Oliver slid in, just avoiding falling over himself.

I told him, "You guys are ridiculous."

He rolled his eyes, his favorite rebuttal to me, and said, in a very huffy voice, "Whatever." He then teased me, "Your just mad that you can't sing like me."

I smirked a little and replied, "I'm glad that I don't sound like a dying cat. Despite what you've been told, it is not the most attractive feature in a mate."

He glared at me just as the first order came in from Becky. She looked very sad when she looked at me out of the corner of her eyes and was biting her lip as she gave Oliver the order.

Maybe she'd finally had enough of rejection and it took everyone to put it through her skull. She clenched her jaw and turned to me, her gray eyes daring me to disagree, "Don't think I won't try, Lilly. I'll make you mine." With that she turned to go out to the rest of those waiting to get their orders taken.

Oliver grinned and hummed to himself as he started on the grilled chicken for the salad and told me, "Sirloin steak medium-rare. I'll do the garlic mashed potatoes."

I was glad he gave me the steak; I could beat my frustration out on it. The night with Oliver was a lot less boring than the one without him. We did what we always did and the routine was broken only by my thoughts of Miley. Even our busiest night, Saturday, was not enough for my thoughts to be anywhere but.

In less than 24 hours, that girl had rocked my world and I wasn't sure whether I had done the same for her.

The worst part was that I missed her. I missed her with an unbearable ache, with a fervor I hadn't known I possessed. I wanted to know everything about her, from her belief in fairies to whether she agreed that red was an awesome color.

Work passed in a blur of chopping and sizzling, Oliver's comments and my retaliating remarks, none of it important until the realization that this was pay-day. I knew because Oliver was doing the pay-day dance. It's this weird ritual with odd leg movements, his head looks like it's twisting off of his body, and his torso stays in one place. He's lucky he looks good otherwise he'd never get dates based on rhythm alone. It's a shame so many gay guys like to dance.

Bobby stood just outside of the lockers, envelopes in hand. We lined up according to last name and as last, I was the one that saw Miley enter. I grinned once I saw her and she smiled as I gestured for her to come over. She shook her head and waited in the shadowy corner for me. At least I hoped she was waiting for me; she could have just as easily been waiting for Jake. He was right in front of me but didn't see Miley. I wondered if that meant I was attuned to her or something for the promise of cold, hard cash to not curb my excitement of seeing her.

Our boss never paid us with checks. Every cent we earned was given to us in cash, and a sheet explaining the hours we worked, the amount of pay we received per hour, and the quality of our work. Besides, he didn't believe in banks. Jake took his envelope and left, just like that, as if there was nothing to be concerned about besides it. Bobby made a face at Jake, and gave me my envelope and patted my shoulder before trotting off, not even letting me say thank you.

I turned to see if Miley was still here and grinned at her once I saw her again. I don't think that I have the ability to smile normally. It's either a grin, a smirk, a sneer, or a frown but never a regular, pleased smile. I'm not sure if I have the ability to, now that I think about it. She was frowning in her boyfriend's direction, probably wondering why he wasn't paying any attention to her, or hadn't noticed her like I had. I tapped her shoulder when I stood next to her and she looked at me with cloudy, but rapidly focusing eyes.

"Hi," She said softly to me, a small smile quirking at the ends of her mouth, and I saw that her lip was rapidly going down. I'd actually forgotten about how she'd gotten hurt in our initial meeting since she smiled so often at me, rather than wincing with every movement of it like most people did.

I leaned against a wall and looked up at her, realizing that she was slightly taller than me, and I gave her a softened grin as I replied, "Hey." She leaned next to me and I watched the shadows the soft light made on her pale skin lengthened and accentuated her cheekbones. Miley's bright blue eyes looked in my own curiously, as if there's something hidden there that she wasn't anticipating. There was a brightness to her that hardly allowed room for her faults, even though it was obvious that she felt she had them, and I found it endearing.

"You doing anything this Sunday?" I asked her.

"Nothing after church. You wanted to invite me to yours or something?" She inquired, her hair spilling over her cheek as her head cocked, as if to look at me closer.

I sniggered, "The Truscott family believes in The Church of The Inner Man." She blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"It means we pray as we eat nachos and turkey sandwiches to video game tournaments," I explained. She looked startled at that but giggled anyways.

"I was wondering," I started, "if you'd-"

"Hey Destiny!" Came a loud, obnoxious voice and Miley flinched. The urge to knock Jake out was suddenly overwhelming me but I stopped. I wouldn't want Miley mad at me for punching her boyfriend and making him cry, especially when I wanted her to go with me to the beach. We'd gone earlier today, yes, but I wanted to teach her to swim a little stronger so that I could eventually take her out surfing with me.

"Hi Jake," She mumbled, less than eager to speak with him. Apparently her tone of voice was foreign to him and he dashed right along through it, rambling about his father not letting him take the jet this weekend and being stuck in Malibu with nothing to do but read and finish homework before going to his studio and filming his Colgate commercial. His words, to any other girl, would have been the way to get and keep her attention, but Miley didn't seem to pay any attention.

Her blue eyes were swimming with enough desperation to warrant my attention as they burned a hole in the wall three inches from my face. I caught her eyes and she flashed me a sorry, apologetic smile. I shrugged and, when he looked around to include somebody else in the conversation, I mimed wrapping my hands over my throat. She laughed gently and bit her lip, sucking the hurt flesh into her mouth as she did so, to keep from it still being there to keep Jake from thinking she was laughing at him. You know, in a nice way.

It seemed his rant, which he never stopped in to get a comment from either of us in, was over because he asked, "Going home Destiny? I'll give you a ride."

She opened her mouth to say something but I cut her off, "She was going to go meet Oliver, Ryan." He narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Why would she want to go meet that faggot?"

I clenched my teeth to retort something scathing when Miley placed her hand on mine and said, "I think that Oliver seems like a nice guy, which is why I'm going to meet him. And I don't like that word taken out of context Jake."

He threw his hands up as if to say he gave up and said, "If you want to hang out with the faggot and the lezbo, go ahead. I'll see you on Monday because I have rehearsal tomorrow." He turned around and walked out of the back room.

Miley gave a tired sigh and turned to me and, though her eyes were burning with questions, she simply sighed and tugged at me. When I stepped closer she pulled me into her warm arms and placed her head on my shoulder, hugging me closely.

Her words were soft and laced with enough sadness to choke me as she repeatedly asked, "Why would anyone want to talk about someone like that?"

For once, I didn't have an answer.

_Do me a favor:  
Tell me what you think about me.  
Tell me how you want this to be.  
Go out on a limb and just,  
Dream._


End file.
